


Two Years On

by rivlee



Series: Midnight Land [2]
Category: The Pacific - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-21
Updated: 2011-09-21
Packaged: 2017-11-14 19:03:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/518511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rivlee/pseuds/rivlee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two years after the end of <i>Guide You in the Dark</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two Years On

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeated. For a prompt request from uniformly.

Runner liked to take a lap or two around the city after his shifts. There was something soothing about the jog, focusing on his respiration and heart rates with music blaring in his ears as he tried to wind down. He could never just turn it off after he left work. Lew always warned him that the longer he stayed, the worse some cases would linger. It’d been two years since the massive fuck-up that resulted in Lew’s move out of Special Investigations, and the whole squad was still feeling the ramifications of that bullshit. The shock was even reflected in their case load, their unsolved rate doubling since his departure.

People just wouldn’t talk to them, any of them, they wanted Chuckler. Sledge and Leckie weren’t a problem, they’d always communicated with various members of the staff, but Snafu now refused to talk to anyone but Runner. Even Stone didn’t realize how many contacts Lew kept up with until after he was gone. Lew, god bless his rock hard head, still stopped by and helped them off-the-clock. 

Lew spent a year and a half under Lena’s tutelage before taking a Sergeant’s position in Cold Cases. Runner had been down there a few times to see him, but it never felt right, seeing Lew cramped behind a tiny desk in a basement, condensation from the air conditioning vents dripping on his head. It was frustrating as hell, having Lew down there were Runner could never see him, but Lew was going after something and needed all-access to the Archives to do it. 

Runner started his cool down as he came to the porch of his new home. It was an old house, built in the late 1890s, full of character and all sorts of hidden treasures. He used the rickety wooden steps to brace himself as he went through his final stretches.

“I don’t recall custom ordering a sweaty athlete,” Lew said from the doorway. 

Runner looked up, surprised to see him there.

“You’re supposed to be at work,” he said.

Lew shrugged, causing his too-small t-shirt to stretch even tighter across his collar bones. He must’ve stolen one of Runner’s again. The man had an irrational aversion to laundry.

“Don’t give me that face,” Runner said, “the last thing you need is an official reprimand.”

“It amuses me that you think I’m in some sort of trouble at work,” Lew said. He settled down on the porch steps, long limbs arranged in a lazy sprawl.

“Your recent job demotion would suggest as much,” Runner said.

“I asked for the position,” Lew said, “I hated wearing a tie to work every day. Besides, I’m actually a higher rank now. Lena just wants me to stew down there for a couple years.”

“Why?” Runner asked, stretching out his arms. He smirked when Lew got distracted. “Is this where I ask you if you see something you like?”

Lew laughed. “I confess, I didn’t take you into my home with only goodness in my heart.”

“Imagine that,” Runner murmured. He shook his limbs out one more time and sat down beside Lew. “Why is Lena making you run Cold Cases again?”

Lew sighed. “You didn’t hear this, but Vin’s planning on stepping down some time in the next two years.”

“Stone’s leaving? You’re fucking kidding me right?”

“Mac’s made it clear he doesn’t want Stone working in a job that’s trying its best to kill him. Stone’s got a chance for an instructor’s position at the Academy. He just needs to get his teaching certification first.”

“Fuck,” Runner muttered. That would mean so many damn changes. And one major implication. “Fuck,” he said again. He stood up and started pacing over the cracked sidewalk. If Stone left, Lew would be the only logical replacement. A lieutenant could not be in a relationship with one of his subordinates. Either they’d have to end this or Runner would have to quit. And he really liked his job.

Lew sat up and reached an arm out, pulling Runner back to the steps. “No, Will, it’s not what you’re thinking.”

“Really, because it seems to me like you’ve known about this for at least four months and never bothered to say anything. What the _fuck_ , Lew?”

“Will,” Lew stood up and held him still, “I’m not taking Stone’s place. I’m replacing Lipton.”

“You’re going to Vice? We’re getting Lipton?” Runner asked.

Lew nodded. “That’s the plan. Who the hell knows what’s really going to happen, but Lena’s well aware that I will not take a position that will compromise either of our positions.”

“I could change squads.”

“No, kid, you couldn’t,” Lew said, “you’re _my_ replacement, after all.”

Runner startled at that. He never caught onto that one.

“Holy shit, you’re speechless,” Lew said.

“Kiss my ass,” Runner said, pushing past him and running into the house. He grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge while Lew laughed behind him.

“Don’t get bitchy with me because you had a drama queen moment,” he said.

“We can’t all take everything in stride like you do,” Runner said, “some of us are only half-a-century old.”

“Do you really want to play the age card?” Lew asked.

Runner looked over at him then. Lew wasn’t mad, just amused, though there was his typical undercurrent of concern. He was leaning on the door jamb, watching each of Runner’s movements with a heaping dose of affection. It still freaked Runner out a little when he did that, but he remembered one else had ever shared this house with Lew. It must’ve been a hell of an experience to have another person around after a century. 

And Runner knew it was a hell of a privilege to be here.

“At least I know you’re not secretly working for the mob,” Runner said.

“Not anymore,” Lew said.

Runner couldn’t keep his glare when faced with Lew’s wide smile.

“Why don’t you get cleaned up,” Lew said, “Hoosier’s invited us to dinner.”

“Is that sanitary?” Runner asked. He leaned against the doorjamb opposite Lew.

“He makes a mean chicken parm for a man from Indiana. Toye even likes it.”

“You go to dinner parties with Toye?” Runner asked.

“I’ve known his family since they arrived in this city,” Lew said.

“Wait, you really were neighbors with his Nonna?”

“She was the most amazing cook I ever met. I swear to god, I gained weight every week thanks to her. Lovely woman.”

Runner shook his head. “You’re freaking me out again.”

Lew stood over Runner, cradling his head as he pulled him in for a too quick kiss. 

“You’ll get used to it,” he whispered against Runner’s lips.

It really wasn’t fair, living with a man who’d been around for almost two hundred years. 

Runner pulled back and made for the stairs before he embarrassed himself. 

Lew’s laughter followed him the whole way


End file.
